Cromarty Firth, Scotland: The Accidental Sinking of the HMS Natal
IV18 0AE - How over four hundred men, women and children lost their lives in a naval disaster 鈥� with no involvement by the enemy.
IV18 0AE
The armoured cruiser HMS Natal was originally launched in 1905.
In 1911,HMS Natal escorted King George V and Queen Mary on a royal visit to India, but her wartime career was quiet and involved patrolling the North Sea.
In 1915, after a refit, HMS Natal rejoined her squadron at Scapa Flow before sailing south to spend Christmas in the Cromarty Firth.
The Natal's captain, Eric Black, decided to throw a film party on the 30th December - and extended an invitation to officers, their wives and children.
It was during the festivities that a series of explosion ripped HMS Natal apart, causing her to capsize within five minutes.
Originally, the cause of the explosions was thought to be either a German submarine or a mine. But after divers investigated, the subsequent Admiralty court martial ruled that the explosions occurred internally, most likely due to faulty cordite in the ships own ammunition store.
One estimate of the total number dead is 421.
Today, the tragedy of the Natal is commemorated in a specially created garden in nearby Invergordon.
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